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  • Manhappiness, Moratoriums & “Bone-on-Bone” Reality: Dr. James McAtee on Building Physician Power
    2025/10/31

    Why Listen: An orthopedic surgeon who built and sold a physician-owned surgical hospital explains, in plain language, how practices win on contracts, culture, and capital. If you’re serious about independence, this is your operating manual for the next 12–24 months.

    👥 Host: Dutch Rojas – Founder, Rojas Media and Bliksem Health

    Guest: Dr. James “Jamie” McAtee – Orthopedic Surgeon, Partner at Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center (Manhattan, KS); Co-founder/leader at Manhattan Surgical Hospital; K-State alum and lifelong advocate for physician ownership

    Episode Overview

    Dutch sits down with Dr. McAtee to unpack how a small college town became a case study in physician leadership. They cover the origin story of Manhattan Surgical Hospital, raising capital (OpCo + PropCo), negotiating payer contracts (and why implants make or break your margins), and the cultural discipline required to keep a practice aligned for decades. McAtee details insurer tactics like retroactive “medical necessity” denials and AI-driven auth games—and how to respond. The conversation closes with strategy: federated models, MSO mechanics, retreats that actually matter, and the political trench war over the physician-owned hospital moratorium.

    Notable Quotes

    • “You have to have one or two partners willing to carry the workload on strategy.”

    • “Insurers say no pre-auth…then deny it retroactively. That’s not fair.”

    • “We built OpCo and PropCo—and used local banking that participated in the loan.”

    • “Culture is an expectation: if you want to be here, this is how we behave.”

    • “Physician-owned hospitals consistently lead on outcomes—and still face a moratorium.”


    📚 What You’ll Learn

    – How to structure and finance a physician-owned facility (OpCo vs. real estate)

    – The payer math: DRGs, implant costs, and why case-level analysis wins contracts

    – A practical approach to pre-auths in the age of AI (speak patient vs. legal charting)

    – Building durable culture: expectations, accountability, and quarterly deep-dive retreats

    – Federated models/MSOs: why “coopetition” beats isolation for independent groups

    – Policy reality check: navigating the POH moratorium with creative ownership models


    The Episode (Timestamps)

    00:00 – Why Manhattan, KS and the K-State effect on practice growth

    06:00 – From OR to boardroom: why McAtee built a surgical hospital

    09:45 – Capital stack 101: OpCo, PropCo, and local bank participation

    12:00 – Blueprints vs. flow: designing for industrial engineering, not just code

    14:35 – Payer reality: DRGs, implants, and uneven reimbursement

    15:55 – Retro denials & AI: “bone-on-bone” vs. clinical nomenclature

    18:30 – Near-term ops: authorizations, EHR/AI, and squeezing waste

    19:45 – Federated MSO vision and why organic physician growth stalled

    21:30 – Coopetition mindset: uniting against carrier/system leverage

    22:45 – Property & casualty: moving from premiums to contributions and float

    26:45 – Leadership cadence: create “productive chaos,” then guide the team

    27:50 – Retreats that work: weekly huddles + quarterly deep dives

    28:55 – Strategy ownership: two partners carry the torch; others cede control

    32:00 – Culture rules: high standards, low drama, long-term alignment

    33:20 – Policy: POH moratorium, workarounds, and the path forward

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    38 分
  • Hack the System: How MedReveal Is Cracking the Healthcare Price Transparency Code
    2025/10/30

    🎯 Why Listen

    What if patients and doctors could finally see behind the curtain of healthcare pricing? In this episode, Dutch Rojas speaks with the founders of MedReveal—three brilliant student entrepreneurs solving one of the most frustrating problems in medicine: price transparency. Discover how they’re empowering independent practices, fighting for fair negotiations, and wrangling absurdly massive data files to bring pricing power back where it belongs.


    👥 Host

    Dutch Rojas – Founder, Rojas Media and Bliksem Health

    👥 Guests

    • Seyun Jeong – Tech lead and co-founder, MedReveal
    • Claire Elah Doua – Healthcare strategist and co-founder, MedReveal
    • Tarun Sai Janapati – Data analytics lead and co-founder, MedReveal


    📌 Episode Overview

    In a wide-ranging and inspiring conversation, Dutch sits down with the MedReveal team to discuss their path from student incubator to venture-backed startup. The team explains how current pricing data—while technically “public”—is effectively unusable due to massive file sizes, messy formats, and obfuscation. Learn how they’re decoding it all to provide real benchmarking tools to help independent practices negotiate fair contracts and stay alive in an increasingly consolidated market.


    💬 Notable Quotes

    “It’s not just that patients can’t see prices—it’s that doctors can’t either. We’re fixing that.” – Claire Elah Doua“These files are hundreds of gigabytes. It’s like they don’t want you to find the data.” – Tarun Sai Janapati“We’re building leverage for private practices to renegotiate and survive.” – Seyun Jeong


    📚 What You’ll Learn

    • Why price transparency is broken in practice, even if it’s law on paper
    • How MedReveal extracts, cleans, and makes sense of gigabyte-scale insurer data
    • Why independent doctors are disadvantaged in contract negotiations—and how this startup helps
    • The staggering technical challenges behind accessing and cleaning pricing data
    • How foreign-born founders bring a unique urgency to solving U.S. healthcare problems
    • How MedReveal is already generating revenue and scaling across the country


    The Episode (Timestamps)

    00:00 – Tarun’s data nightmare: why pricing files are practically unusable

    02:30 – Meet the MedReveal team and their SLU origins

    04:30 – Claire’s global health journey from Cameroon to Philadelphia

    08:00 – Why price transparency matters for both patients and providers

    12:00 – How providers can use MedReveal’s data to renegotiate contracts

    17:00 – Tech stack and startup challenges: from zombie rows to insights

    21:30 – Real use cases: Orthopedic groups, benchmarking, and the business model

    28:00 – Group leverage: when do independent docs gain contracting power?

    34:00 – Startup goals by December: customers, outcomes, education

    38:00 – Dutch on pricing as the foundation of real reform

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    41 分
  • Pathological Honesty and Physician Advocacy: A Conversation with Dr. JP Kolcun
    2025/10/29

    Why Listen? This episode dives into what drives the next generation of physicians to fight for their profession.

    Dutch Rojas sits down with neurosurgeon and podcast host Dr. JP Kolcun for a candid, funny, and deeply human conversation about the moral obligation to speak up, the optimism of young doctors, and why the future of medicine might depend on radical honesty and renewed physician leadership.

    Host: Dutch Rojas – Founder, Rojas Media and Bliksem Health

    Guest: Dr. JP Kolcun – Neurosurgeon, Co-Host of The Neurosurgery Podcast

    Episode Overview

    In this wide-ranging conversation, Dutch and Dr. Kolcun discuss everything from Founders Podcast and leadership lessons from NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang to the realities of physician advocacy, the neurosurgery culture, and the challenges of uniting physicians under one mission.

    Dr. Kolcun reflects on his journey from musician to neurosurgeon, the influence of optimism and honesty in medicine, and why he co-founded The Neurosurgery Podcast as a counterpoint to Dr. Death. Dutch and Dr. Kolcun also tackle generational mindsets, the fight for physician-owned hospitals, and how advocacy starts with understanding the “rules of the game.”


    💬 Notable Quotes

    • “I have this vein of almost pathological honesty in me. When I see something wrong, I feel compelled to call it out.” – JP Kolcun, MD

    • “You can’t morally place yourself in someone else’s position and pretend you’d do better. We’d all be jerks too.” – Dutch Rojas

    • “Every neurosurgeon likes to think we’re the Navy SEALs of medicine—but under the surface, we’re all geeks about our own little thing.” – JP Kolcun, MD

    • “We can’t own the means of production in our own industry. That’s an affront to the profession.” – JP Kolcun, MD

    • “The way you get doctors on the same page is by focusing on what benefits all physicians—at the expense of no one.” – JP Kolcun, MD


    📚 What You’ll Learn

    – Why young physicians are more optimistic than ever

    – The origin story of The Neurosurgery Podcast and its mission

    – How neurosurgeons are leading advocacy for physician-owned hospitals

    – Why unity across medical specialties is essential for reform

    – The role of honesty and moral courage in physician leadership

    – How generational perspective can reframe pessimism in healthcare

    – What advocacy looks like from within the neurosurgical community

    – Why optimism is a prerequisite for medicine—and for reform


    The Episode (Timestamps)

    00:00 – Introduction & The Founders Podcast

    03:45 – Leadership lessons from NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang

    07:30 – JP’s journey: from musician to neurosurgeon

    12:40 – Discovering advocacy and the moral duty to speak up

    18:25 – Physician optimism and generational mindset shifts

    24:15 – How neurosurgeons organize and advocate nationally

    28:00 – Building unity across medical specialties

    31:45 – Inside The Neurosurgery Podcast

    35:10 – Why advocacy is an act of optimism

    39:00 – Dutch’s reflections and closing

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    31 分
  • The Rojas Morning Rundown
    2025/10/29

    While the government shuts down, America’s largest health agencies keep running on autopilot, funded not by Congress, but by user fees and hidden subsidies.

    In this solo briefing, Dutch Rojas dissects how the system continues to enrich insurers and health systems while squeezing out independent physicians and driving premiums ever higher.

    Host Dutch Rojas: Founder, Rojas Media and Bliksem Health

    Episode Overview: In this morning's rundown, Dutch exposes how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stays operational during a government shutdown and what that reveals about the true structure of U.S. healthcare. He unpacks the politics behind the ACA subsidy cliff, the corruption of the 340B drug program, and the myth of “innovation” paraded at conferences like HLTH 2025. From UPMC’s empire to the illusion of market turbulence, Dutch argues that healthcare isn’t collapsing; it’s consolidating by design.

    Notable Quotes

    • “If CMS were a private company, the CEO would be fired.”

    • “We’ve built a system that rewards scale, not value.”

    • “Healthcare isn’t collapsing, it’s consolidating. And consolidation is collapse for everyone else.”

    What You’ll Learn

    – Why CMS keeps running even when the government shuts down

    – How ACA subsidies distort the insurance market

    – The real beneficiaries of the 340B drug pricing program

    – Why HLTH 2025 showcases gadgets, not solutions

    – How consolidation drives up premiums and destroys autonomy


    The Episode (Timestamps)

    00:00 – Intro: The government shutdown and healthcare’s autopilot system

    03:15 – CMS and the illusion of accountability

    09:40 – The ACA subsidy cliff and who it really protects

    17:55 – 340B reform and the nonprofit profit machine

    24:20 – UPMC, market power, and the death of rural hospitals

    29:30 – HLTH 2025: Innovation or distraction?

    33:45 – Final thoughts: Consolidation vs. collapse

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    5 分
  • The Godfather of Physician Media: Scott Becker on Twitter, Tech, and the Future of Care
    2025/10/28

    Dutch Rojas – Founder, Rojas Media and Bliksem Health

    Guest: Scott Becker – Founder, Becker’s Healthcare


    📌 Episode Overview

    Dutch and Scott go deep on what it means to lead conversation in an industry that’s forgotten how to listen. Scott explains why X feels like a “modern-day video game,” how he uses it to connect with independent physicians, and why he believes it remains one of the last bastions of free speech.

    They also tackle the looming physician shortage, the rise of nurse practitioners, and why triaging care isn’t a betrayal of the profession—it’s survival. The two unpack the role of tech in medicine, where AI can leverage (not replace) human skill, and how “2x vs. 10x” solutions could reshape the next decade of healthcare.


    💬 Notable Quotes

    • “Twitter’s like a modern-day video game. It’s gamified in a brilliant way.” – Scott Becker

    • “We all prefer the same primary care doctor for life—but there just aren’t enough of them.” – Scott Becker

    • “If we don’t fix the physician shortage, it’s not about equity—it’s about access.” – Dutch Rojas

    • “Tech plus people—that’s the future. Not tech instead of people.” – Scott Becker


    📚 What You’ll Learn

    – How Scott Becker uses X to connect with thousands of independent physicians

    – Why the U.S. is running out of primary care doctors—and what can (and can’t) fix it

    – The hard truth about concierge and direct primary care models

    – How “2x vs. 10x” technology will define medicine’s next era

    – Why triage medicine isn’t a downgrade—it’s a necessity

    – The emotional and economic layers of America’s tiered healthcare system


    ⏱ The Episode (Timestamps)

    00:00 – Intro: Dutch and Scott reconnect

    03:45 – The rise of X (Twitter) as healthcare’s new town square

    09:20 – Why Twitter feels like a modern video game

    15:10 – Free speech, feedback, and filtering the chaos

    20:30 – The physician shortage and NP/PA debate

    28:15 – Direct Primary Care and concierge medicine

    33:50 – America’s multi-tiered healthcare system

    40:00 – Tech, AI, and “2x vs. 10x” solutions

    46:00 – Final thoughts: balancing optimism and realism

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    26 分
  • The Women’s Health Wake-Up Call: Why Investors Can’t Afford to Ignore the Other 50%
    2025/10/22

    🎯 Why Listen

    Women are the Chief Medical Officers of their families—yet the healthcare system continues to overlook them. In this compelling episode, Dutch Rojas dives deep with Dr. Vipul Kella and Dr. Paul Slosar to unpack why women’s health is the next great frontier for clinical innovation and venture capital investment. Learn why now is the moment to back female founders, build meaningful healthcare solutions, and invest with impact.


    👥 Host

    Dutch Rojas – Founder, Rojas Media and Bliksem Health


    👥 Co- Hosts

    • Dr. Vipul Kella, MD MBA – General Partner, PhyCap Fund
    • Dr. Paul Slosar, MD MHCDS – Co-Founder, General Partner, PhyCap Fund


    📌 Episode Overview

    Dutch Rojas welcomes two powerhouse guests to discuss the Women’s Health Nexus event taking place November 17th at Congressional Country Club. This episode is a tour de force on healthcare inequities, investment strategy, and innovation—all viewed through the critical lens of gender. Discover why the current system is failing women, what capital-light innovations are gaining momentum, and how the Physicians Capital Fund is making early moves in this space with their first $3M close. You’ll also get practical advice for female founders, and a compelling argument for why clinicians must be in the room where decisions are made.


    💬 Notable Quotes


    “Women are the architects of their family’s health decisions—and yet they remain underserved.” – Dr. Paul Slosar“


    Innovation is a team sport. If you want to change the system, you need physicians, founders, investors, and policymakers at the same table.” – Dr. Vipul Kella“


    We’re building a venture ecosystem that doesn’t just invest. We roll up our sleeves and help these companies succeed.” – Dutch Rojas


    📚 What You’ll Learn


    • Why women’s health remains dramatically underfunded and underrepresented in VC
    • How regulatory, clinical, and investment perspectives are converging to build a new model
    • Why tech-enabled services—not just SaaS—have staying power in healthcare
    • How to enter the ecosystem as a founder, LP, or physician
    • What makes the Physicians Capital Fund model different (and investable)
    • Real examples of pitch prep, founder feedback, and due diligence in action


    The Episode (Timestamps)

    00:00 – Why women’s health needs more than lip service

    04:00 – Inside the Women’s Nexus event: what to expect on Nov 17

    09:30 – The business case for investing in female health

    14:45 – Advice for women launching health tech startups

    19:00 – Building LP relationships and value beyond capital

    24:00 – How PHI Cap Fund is deploying its first $3M

    29:15 – Clinical relevance vs cool tech: the due diligence gauntlet

    33:00 – Founders-first philosophy: how PHI Cap works with startups

    36:00 – Culture, connection, and long-term founder relationships

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    39 分